Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Daddy's point of view...

So many of you know Valorie and I are past due to have a baby. Valorie is really past due... We thought the time had come and at 1:30 Sunday morning drove downtown to the hospital.

I had not yet been. With a foggy windshield we navigated the parking garage (more later on poor windshield vision), parked, and walked/waddled towards maternity.

It was amazing. So calm, so relaxed. I always feel that I am going to be accosted and asked why, what, who, and where (for whatever unknown reason) upon entering a hospital. Instead it was asleep. silent. there were staff, but seeing Val in her state they seemed to only pause from their private conversation long enough to say, "she wishes it was time, but we'll see them again in an hour or so".

Upon reaching triage, we were well received by the staff. I remember Val expressing that she was "stylin" wearing her gown - which unreceived and even trite to the staff, seemed cute to me. After sitting in the corner of triage and watching the contractions, my wife, clock, and wallpaper, eventually the midwife came in.

Much to Val's dismay she offered tips for pain relief (this baby IS sunny side up) and sent us home.

So sure enough, released from the midwife, we walked the slow walk back to the car. Down the same, now familiar corridors. I envisioned them full with activity and hoped the baby will come at this time of night.

So it can be our hospital, our night together. In that wholly natural sense of the most unnatural time of day - the middle of the night.

Nonetheless we found the parking garage. I searched my pocket for the parking ticket and finding it, gave Val my wallet and asked her to fish out two bucks to pay when we got out. We got to the bottom of the parking garage and the gate was open.

No attendant, No spikes, no dogs...

We rolled out (happy thieves) to relieve grandma and grandpa and go to bed ourselves two dollars richer and even more ready than ever to have the baby. After complaining on the way home that the defroster wasn't working - Val reminded me that she had turned off the master control (fancy new-fangled cars) yesterday. I turned it back on and we could even see again!

SO soon enough it will come. And if daddy needs to go down the street while mama and baby are snoozing for a "break", I'll be sure to leave at two am.